Topos Sokratis Sinopoulos & Yann Keerim

• 1 Vlachia 02:21
• 2 Valley 03:25
• 3 In One Spot 05:21
• 4 Sash Dance 05:09
• 5 Dance from Bucsum 06:43
• 6 Romanian Polka 04:52
• 7 Fast Dance 08:47
• 8 Mountain Path 02:13
• 9 Forest Glade 05:19
• 10 Stick Dance 07:43
• Total Runtime 51:53

Info for Topos

The Greek duo of lyra player Sokratis Sinopoulos and pianist Yann Keerim’s first studio statement is a deep well of inspired musical dialogues that cross the idiomatic space between European folk tradition and chamber-jazz seamlessly. Bartók’s six “Romanian Folk Dances” appear in newly shaped guises throughout the album, with Sokratis’s painterly lyra playing setting a lyrical counterpoint against Yann’s in turns rhythmically propulsive and quietly thoughtful accompaniment. This is the first time the duo is heard distilled from Sokratis’s acclaimed quartet (albums Eight Winds and Metamodal) and their conversations interlock gracefully, always responsive to one another and with a keen sense of space and atmosphere. Their own duo elaborations join the Bartók studies unnoticeably, as everything becomes connected by the pair’s fluid expression. Recorded in Athens, in February 2024, the album was produced by Manfred Eicher.

"Our Topos is where tradition meets the present, the Balkan Mountains meet urban space, the music of the countryside meets contemporary creation. Our Topos is where we meet and interact, shaping our individual and common identities." (Sokratis & Yann)

Sokratis Sinopoulos, lyra
Yann Keerim, piano

Sokratis Sinopoulos
Greek musician Sokratis Sinopoulos is a contemporary master of the lyra, a bowed instrument that dates back to the Byzantine era. His playing is delicate and nuanced yet highly expressive, and his proficiency on the instrument has been widely acclaimed. Sinopoulos has collaborated with numerous musicians throughout the world. He’s equally comfortable crossing genre boundaries into jazz and classical, as he is to staying true to folk traditions of Greece and Eastern Mediterranean.

Born in Athens in 1974, he studied Byzantine music and classical guitar as a child, and began playing the lyra in 1988, under the instruction of Ross Daly. Sinopoulos’ remarkable talent was immediately apparent, and he joined Daly’s group Labyrinthos a year later. He became highly prolific, contributing to recordings by countless musicians all arround the world. Sinopoulos was awarded the Melina Mercouri award for young artists in 1999.

In 2010, he formed Sokratis Sinopoulos Quartet with pianist Yann Keerim, bassist Dimitris Tsekouras, and drummer Dimitris Emmanouil. The debut album of the quartet “Eight Winds”, was produced by Manfred Eicher for ECM records and received excellent reviews globaly. Sokratis Sinopoulos is an assistant professor in the Department of Music Science and Art in the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Yann Keerim
Greek pianist Yann Keerim has developed a musical language that moves between classical tradition, Mediterranean folk idioms, and contemporary improvisation.

Born in Ioannina, in northwest Greece, Keerim began piano studies at the age of four, later drawing inspiration from Alexander Scriabin’s harmonic innovations. At the same time, he learned by ear at village festivals, where the sounds of regional music shaped his sense of rhythm and improvisation.

His most recent release, Topos (ECM, 2025), is his first duo recording with lyra player Sokratis Sinopoulos, produced by Manfred Eicher. The album reimagines Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances and introduces original pieces, creating a shared sound world where folk memory and contemporary expression meet. Topos is the latest step in their long collaboration, which also includes Keerim’s role as pianist in the Sokratis Sinopoulos Quartet on the ECM albums Eight Winds (2013) and Metamodal (2019).

Yann is also a member of the Oceania Trio, presenting original compositions in a European jazz context, and the JAK Trio, where the music of Epirus meets classical forms.

If there is a common starting point, beautiful things can be created. For me, that starting point is not a style but our perception of the roles we hold as human beings. Then we can create beautiful music.

Booklet for Topos